The stick and ball sports have their All-Star games but, it is usually more of a social event instead of a hard fought competition. NASCAR's version places the past season's best teams against each other

The stick-and-ball sports have their All-Star games but they are usually more a social event than a hard-fought competition. NASCAR's version places the past season's best teams against each other with the winner leaving with at least a million dollars in their pocket.

Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. are but a few of the sports greats who have gone to victory lane in the Southern 500. Matt Kenseth can now add his name to that historic trophy afterMore >>

Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr. are but a few of the sports greats who have gone to victory lane in the Southern 500. Matt Kenseth can now add his name to that historic trophy after a late surge took him to the win Saturday night.More >>

Last week's white knuckle action at Talladega pitted driver against driver. This week it's a battle of another form as they try to defeat a "Track Too Tough to Tame" in Darlington, South Carolina. DarlingtonMore >>

Last week's white-knuckle action at Talladega pitted driver against driver. This week it's a battle of another form as they try to defeat a "Track Too Tough to Tame" in Darlington, SC.More >>

Talladega Speedway has long been known for its exciting racing action. However, the fans at Sunday's Aaron's 499 Cup Series event experienced some additional excitement in another form as a large thunderstormMore >>

Talladega Speedway has long been known for its exciting racing action. However, the fans at Sunday's Aaron's 499 Cup Series event experienced some additional excitement in another form as a large thunderstorm with one-eighth-inch hail that halted the event with 63 laps to go.More >>

Richmond International Raceway has always been known as a place for action but Saturday night's Toyota Owner's 400 had many Cup Series drivers shaking their heads. The first portion of the event belongedMore >>

Richmond International Raceway has always been known as a place for action, but Saturday night's Toyota Owner's 400 had many Cup Series drivers shaking their heads.More >>

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS -

There are always a lot of questions on the table at any NASCAR event and this week's contest at Kansas Speedway was no exception.

The first question on everyone's list was the newly paved racing surface. Usually, the first event on a new surface does not present a lot of side-by-side racing but that wasn't the case this weekend. The hard racing produced 14 cautions and a lot of extra work for the pit crews.

The most obvious was with the No. 17 team of race winner Matt Kenseth as he crashed early in the event but went on to victory.

"I flat-sided it pretty bad," said Kenseth of his encounter with the outside wall. "It ended up working in our favor. They fixed the body as good as it was when we started, and we had to take less gas in that last pit stop, and the pit crew put me out front."

Danica Patrick made another Cup Series start in preparation for running the full Cup schedule next season. She has been pushed around a lot this season in her Cup competitors, posing the question as to when she would stand up for herself. That question was answered on Lap 156 when she unsuccessfully tried to take out Landon Cassill.

"The bummer here is that I'm out of the race and he's not," said Patrick after crashing her car in the attempt.

Her efforts caught the attention of some drivers that she might finally be fed up with the pushing and shoving that she has received. However, Cassill made the observation that she has a little more learning to do before her efforts carry a lot of weight.

"Rule No. 1 is to learn how to wreck someone without wrecking yourself," commented Cassill on his car radio after the encounter.

AJ Allmendinger, who was in his second ride in James Finch's No. 51 car, had some unanswered questions at the start of the day that involved his future at the Cup Series level. He left with some answers even after a failed right front tire sent him into the wall and relegated another good run into a 35th-place finish.

"The guys really made me feel like they wanted me here and were excited to have me at the race track," said Allmendinger. "That, for me, did more than anything, even more than driving the race car."

Then finally, there was the question of who is going to take control of this Chase event. Jimmie Johnson made a statement that even a crash was not going to take his title hopes away.

"All-in-all, a good day, but it could have been a lot better," said Johnson regarding his wreck. "I think we could have been in Victory Lane and stretched some points on these guys."

Brad Keselowski didn't have a good day either and as we leave Kansas, the point question will have to follow us to Martinsville next week. I'm sure that more questions will arise that need answering - and we'll be there to report the answers.

The stick and ball sports have their All-Star games but, it is usually more of a social event instead of a hard fought competition. NASCAR's version places the past season's best teams against each other

The stick-and-ball sports have their All-Star games but they are usually more a social event than a hard-fought competition. NASCAR's version places the past season's best teams against each other with the winner leaving with at least a million dollars in their pocket.

Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. are but a few of the sports greats who have gone to victory lane in the Southern 500. Matt Kenseth can now add his name to that historic trophy afterMore >>

Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr. are but a few of the sports greats who have gone to victory lane in the Southern 500. Matt Kenseth can now add his name to that historic trophy after a late surge took him to the win Saturday night.More >>

Last week's white knuckle action at Talladega pitted driver against driver. This week it's a battle of another form as they try to defeat a "Track Too Tough to Tame" in Darlington, South Carolina. DarlingtonMore >>

Last week's white-knuckle action at Talladega pitted driver against driver. This week it's a battle of another form as they try to defeat a "Track Too Tough to Tame" in Darlington, SC.More >>

Talladega Speedway has long been known for its exciting racing action. However, the fans at Sunday's Aaron's 499 Cup Series event experienced some additional excitement in another form as a large thunderstormMore >>

Talladega Speedway has long been known for its exciting racing action. However, the fans at Sunday's Aaron's 499 Cup Series event experienced some additional excitement in another form as a large thunderstorm with one-eighth-inch hail that halted the event with 63 laps to go.More >>

Richmond International Raceway has always been known as a place for action but Saturday night's Toyota Owner's 400 had many Cup Series drivers shaking their heads. The first portion of the event belongedMore >>

Richmond International Raceway has always been known as a place for action, but Saturday night's Toyota Owner's 400 had many Cup Series drivers shaking their heads.More >>

Growing up, Clint Bowyer cut his teeth driving the short track circuit of the Midwest. Now that he is a big time Sprint Cup driver, he is hoping that his short track experience puts him back in the winner'sMore >>

Growing up, Clint Bowyer cut his teeth driving the short track circuit of the Midwest. Now that he is a big time Sprint Cup driver, he is hoping that his short track experience puts him back in the winner's circle this week in Richmond.More >>

When Matt Kenseth made the unprecedented move from his long time home at Roush/Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing, many expected him to remain a championship threat; just not this soon. Capturing his secondMore >>

When Matt Kenseth made the unprecedented move from his longtime home at Roush/Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing, many expected him to remain a championship threat; just not this soon.More >>

Richard Petty once told me that bad luck comes in cycles. He said that you just continue to work hard and one day it will turn back around your way. That seems to be the case for the resurgent Kyle BuschMore >>

Richard Petty once told me that bad luck comes in cycles. He said that you just continue to work hard and one day it will turn back around your way. That seems to be the case for the resurgent Kyle Busch as he heads to Kansas this weekend.More >>

The two best cars battled it out under the lights at Texas Motorspeedway Saturday night with Martin Truex falling short in the final laps to Kyle Busch for the win. The win completed a weekend sweep forMore >>

The two best cars battled it out under the lights at Texas Motorspeedway Saturday night, with Martin Truex falling short in the final laps to Kyle Busch for the win.More >>